BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers have begun summer workouts after a busy spring of roster transformation.
Indiana lost six players (Xavier Johnson, Anthony Walker, Kel’el Ware, CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks) and replaced them with Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, Luke Goode, Bryson Tucker, Oumar Ballo and Langdon Hatton. Hoosiers returning from last season include Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Anthony Leal, Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.
After these changes, the Hoosiers are projected to be a consensus top-25 team and a Big Ten title contender, according to preseason ranking by the national media. Below, we answered some fan-submitted questions about the new players, lineup rotations, injuries, the Big Ten, playing style and more.
“What is the projected starting 5? It seems like we have a lot of interchangeable positions from 3 to 5,” asked Robert Stewart.
Four of the five starting positions seem practically immovable: Myles Rice as point guard, Mackenzie Mgbako as small forward, Malik Reneau as power forward and Oumar Ballo as center. The starting shooting guard position is where it gets interesting. Indiana added Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle, who is more of a combo guard or scoring guard, so to speak. As a freshman, he averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and shot 32% from 3-point range. He can play both point guard and shooting guard, which gives Indiana some flexibility.
Another top candidate is Trey Galloway. Out of necessity, Galloway moved into more of a point guard role last season and averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game. But he also shot just 26% from 3-point range, a sharp drop from his 46.2% mark in 2022-23, when he was used more as a catch-and-shoot option and an offensive killer. . Five-star freshman Bryson Tucker could also join the mix if he quickly adapts to the college game this summer.
As for the frontcourt, Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo should start, but the addition of Illinois transfer Luke Goode and Bellarmine transfer Langdon Hatton, both of whom can knock down 3-pointers, gives Woodson some versatile options and interesting play possibilities. alignment combination.
“How is Trey?” Janice Kirk asked.
This is another factor in the starting lineup conversation mentioned above. Woodson mentioned on May 29 that Galloway is still rehabbing and not on the court yet, but Woodson “hopes and thinks” he will be ready when the season starts. Galloway underwent surgery in April to fix a meniscus injury he suffered on March 10.
“Can they turn the corner and be a relevant team in the Big Ten?” Jerod Clampitt asked.
based on preseason ranking, the national media consensus is that Indiana will compete for a Big Ten title. Purdue, UCLA and Ohio State appear to be the other top teams, and it’s hard to doubt Matt Painter in the Big Ten, even after losing two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey. Indiana makes a strong case for having the best frontcourt in the Big Ten, with Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo. And the transfer guards Woodson brought in should make the most drastic improvement over last year’s team. The challenge for Woodson is getting a roster with six new players to operate as a cohesive unit, but as of now, he would put Indiana in the top three among Big Ten teams.
“Is IU going to have a rhythm so the guards can find a rhythm? Or, slow, throw it under the basket on every play and force late shots at the end of the shot clock? So blame the guards because they can’t hit 3-pointers consistently? -Barry West asked.
Indiana should certainly be able to play at a faster pace after adding Rice and Carlyle. Both are dynamic point guards who can get to the basket, create their own shot and make plays for their teammates. Indiana didn’t have enough players with those skills last season.
At the same time, it would be foolish not to use Reneau and Ballo, who shot 59% and 65.8%, respectively, on 2-point attempts last year. Woodson mentioned last week that Ballo doesn’t need the ball in his hands as much as former Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis did. So I don’t think the offensive game plan is to simply throw the ball every possession, both because of Indiana’s better guard play and because of Ballo’s skills.
“Have you given any update on Jakai Newton’s health?” Sam Ankony asked.
Woodson hasn’t spoken publicly about Newton since last season, but Newton has appeared in some offseason workout videos and photos. He warmed up in full uniform before Indiana’s final home game on March 10, which was a good sign of his recovery. Newton is recovering from a meniscus injury that kept him out of part of his final high school season and the entire 2023-24 season with Indiana. He will still have four years of eligibility.
“Will Trey and Anthony, true Indiana men, be pushed out due to options now available secondary to Transfer Portal acquisitions?” -ED Watts asked.
Galloway may not play 33.4 minutes per game like he did last season due to the addition of Rice, Carlyle and Tucker, as well as Newton’s improving health. But I would still expect him to play around 27.7 minutes per game like he did in 2022-23, when he started alongside Jalen Hood-Schifino. At times last season it seemed like Galloway had too much on his plate and his shooting percentages suffered as a result, so perhaps a few less minutes will allow him to play at his best when he’s in the game. Woodson still values his veteran presence, and would expect Galloway to play down the stretch in many games, even if he’s not in the starting lineup.
As for Leal, the addition of Rice, Carlyle, Tucker and Goode takes away some minutes. Leal’s playing time will also depend on the development of younger players like Gabe Cupps and Newton, who will fight for backup minutes in the backcourt. Woodson has traditionally played a deeper rotation during non-conference games, so Leal will certainly have a chance to earn a significant role if he knocks down threes and plays well during games and practices.
“3-point shot?” -Ritchie Harger asked.
This is certainly an area where Indiana needs to improve after ranking 273rd out of 363 teams with a 32.4% three-point percentage last season, and there are feasible paths to get there. Internally, Mackenzie Mgbako shot 32.7% on the season, but 40.9% on 44 attempts in his final seven Big Ten regular season games. With one year of college under his belt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his percentage increase. It’s probably unreasonable to expect Galloway to shoot 46.2% like he did as a junior, but it’s possible to balance the 30-35% range after shooting just 26% last season.
But the most important source of 3-point improvement lies in transfers. Goode is a 38.8% 3-point shooter on 219 attempts in three seasons at Illinois, and is the reliable, veteran 3-point shooter that Indiana lacked a year ago. Rice shot 27.5% and Carlyle shot 32% as freshmen, but their free throw percentages of 81.1% and 77.6%, respectively, give some merit to the hope that they will improve as freshmen. second year
Another factor in all of this is Indiana’s improved guard play. Last season, Indiana didn’t have enough guards who could drive their defender to the basket and collapse the defense to free up shooters on the perimeter. They should be better in that area this year. And with Ballo and Reneau inside, teams will have to decide between double-teaming in the paint or sticking with the shooters.